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This Laker team is better than that one.
I'm sure you Licker fans remember 2004.
Your "Dream Team" with Payton, Malone, etc.
The alleged greatest team of all-stars ever assembled.
Heavily favored. Was to be the the greatest mis-match in the history of the NBA Finals. No need to even play the games. Get the parade route ready for the Lickers.
Now what happened?
Lets see...
Mmmm...
[edit] Schedule
All dates appear at local time. The starting times are scheduled starting times (not the actual tip-off). Games were held three times a week on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Game 1 - June 6, Sunday, 6:00 p.m. PDT, at Los Angeles Detroit 87, Los Angeles 75: Detroit leads series 1–0[17]
Game 2 - June 8, Tuesday, 6:00 p.m. PDT, at Los Angeles Los Angeles 99, Detroit 91 (OT)]: Series tied 1–1[18]
Game 3 - June 10, Thursday, 9:00 p.m. EDT, at Detroit Detroit 88, Los Angeles 68]: Detroit leads series 2–1[19]
Game 4 - June 13, Sunday, 9:00 p.m. EDT, at Detroit Detroit 88, Los Angeles 80]: Detroit leads series 3–1[20]
Game 5 - June 15, Tuesday, 9:00 p.m. EDT, at Detroit Detroit 100, Los Angeles 87]: Detroit wins series 4–1[7]
The Finals were played using a 2-3-2 site format, where the first two and last two games are held at the team with home court advantage. This is only used in the Finals, all other playoff games are held in a 2-2-1-1-1 format (the team with home court advantage starts).[21]
[edit] Features
The NBA heavily publicized the series as it has done with all other NBA Finals series. There was a sentiment among fans that the Pistons were the clear underdogs, and many described the series as a David vs. Goliath match-up.[7] The Lakers had a lineup of Stars such as Karl Malone, Gary Payton, Derek Fisher, Kobe Bryant, and Shaquille O'Neal - their offensive capability was expected to overpower Detroit's defensive-based game plan.[22] Due to the extreme rarity of having 4 players considered future Hall-of-Fame locks in one lineup, the 2004 Lakers had been dubbed the "Greatest team ever assembled".
Payton and Malone also added to the publicity of the Finals. Perennial All-Stars who had both previously reached the Finals, Payton had led the Seattle SuperSonics there in 1996, while Malone had led the Utah Jazz there in 1997 and 1998.[23] However, Michael Jordan and the Bulls denied them championship rings a total of three times. By the time of Jordan's retirement in 2003, the two veterans were aged and failed to lead their teams deep into the playoffs.[23][24] Thus, this Finals series was seen as the last chance for two of the greatest players in NBA history to finally become NBA champions (Malone later retired while Payton finally won a championship as a key bench player for the Miami Heat).
[edit] Game One
Sunday, June 6, 2004, 14:30 at the Staples Center.
Considered to be a stunning upset by most of the NBA world, the Detroit Pistons managed to defeat the Lakers with imposing defense.[25] Defensively clamping down on everyone but Bryant and O'Neal, the Pistons managed to hold everyone else to a total of 16 points.
The Pistons trailed the Lakers 41–40 at halftime, but a 10–4 surge capped by Billups's 3-pointer gave the Pistons the lead. O'Neal's foul trouble furthered the scoring gap, with the Pistons leading by 13 points early in the fourth quarter.
Team 1st Qt. 2nd Qt. 3rd Qt. 4th Qt. Total
Detroit 22 18 24 23 87
Los Angeles 19 22 17 17 75
[edit] Game Two
Tuesday, June 8, 2004, 15:04 at the Staples Center.
The second game was close throughout the first half, but in the third quarter Detroit would score 30 points, cutting the deficit 68–66. However, at the end of the fourth quarter, Kobe Bryant's 3-point shot at 2.1 seconds to go would tie the game at 89–89. The Lakers and Pistons would then go to overtime, with the Lakers outscoring the Pistons 10–2.
Team 1st Qt. 2nd Qt. 3rd Qt. 4th Qt. OT Total
Detroit 16 20 30 23 2 91
Los Angeles 18 26 24 21 10 99
[edit] Game Three
Thursday, June 10, 2004, 14:31 at The Palace of Auburn Hills.
The Pistons beat Los Angeles by 20 in their first NBA Finals appearance together at The Palace of Auburn Hills since 1990[26] to take a 2–1 lead in the series. The 68 points scored by the Lakers set a franchise record for the fewest number of points scored in a playoff game.
Team 1st Qt. 2nd Qt. 3rd Qt. 4th Qt. Total
Los Angeles 16 16 19 17 68
Detroit 24 15 24 25 88
[edit] Game Four
Sunday, June 13, 2004, 14:49 at The Palace of Auburn Hills.
Again, the Pistons defeated the Lakers, although this time by eight, to take a 3–1 series advantage.
O'Neal scored 36 for the Lakers and Bryant scored 20 but shot 32 percent from the field.
O'Neal made 16 out of 21 shots, and according to the AP report "he might have doubled those totals if his teammates had gotten him the ball more often. But Bryant somehow found it necessary to launch 14 attempts in the first half and 25 overall, many of which were both unwise and off-target."[27]
Karl Malone struggling on a sprained right knee played his last NBA game.
Team 1st Qt. 2nd Qt. 3rd Qt. 4th Qt. Total
Los Angeles 22 17 17 24 80
Detroit 21 20 15 32 88
[edit] Game Five
Tuesday, June 15, 2004, 14:32 at The Palace of Auburn Hills.
In Game 5, the Pistons won their first championship since 1990, and Larry Brown finally won a professional le. The Pistons defense had overcome the high-scoring Laker offense, winning the game by 13, winning the series 4-1, and also ending a long Laker dynasty that lasted for many years. The game saw the end of Phil Jackson's first run as the coach (he returned for the 2005-06 season), and saw O'Neal and Payton's last games in Laker uniforms (O'Neal and Payton were both acquired by the soon-to-be NBA Champions Miami Heat and Malone, who did not play, retired).
Team 1st Qt. 2nd Qt. 3rd Qt. 4th Qt. Total
Los Angeles 24 21 14 28 87
Detroit 25 30 27 18 100
This Laker team is better than that one.
Four Hall of Famers?
What kind of dope are you smoking?
Bro this one of the better Laker teams they've had. It's deep, younger, quicker, and better on D. And a far better passing team than any of the 3-Peat teams.
And Malone was hurt half the year and old (missed all but one game of the Finals), Payton was terrible that season. I don't ing care if they are HOF'ers or not, they didn't play well.
Bro you're a fool. Put that bong down, step away from the keyboard and nobody will get hurt...
Whatever man. You obviously don't know much about the game....hence why you are a Spurs homer I guess.
So, in essence you're basically admitting to defeat? Because the only logical way we'd face the Pistons is if we got to the NBA finals. Also, in 2004 there's a number of differences.
1) Malone isn't trying to give his Alabama Black Snake to Kobe's wife...
2) Malone isn't trying to play on tore-up knee...
3) There isn't 4 massive egos vying for control of the Lakers--there is really only one and a bunch of happy semi-stars.
4) Also, just because there is 4 all-stars on a team doesn't always equate to being overtly more talented than a current team. (See: Real Madrid vs. Barcelona '05-'07)
5) Both Flip Saunders and Doc Rivers are coaching the other two teams...'nuff said.
You know when to stop.
You're smarter than most.
2004--meet 2008.
Wait, Malone was from Louisiana
...and Kobe isn't playing with allegations over his head.
past is past....
Lakers will win it this time!
At least you know the Spurs are done, thanks for admitting defeat already loser.
The OP has not made a case for WHY this year will end up like 2004.
He made a claim, copied and pasted the Wiki, and that was that.
Man of Steel, why do you think this year will end up like 2004?
Truthfully, I could see it happening - with past-their-prime-superstars-overloaded Boston playing the 2004 Lakers.
But unless that's what you meant, you're a 100% gay re got.
Alabama/Louisiana who gives a . Same ing rat's nest.
Whatever man, if you do fall--let me know the next opportunity for you to actually string a back-to-back together.
Helix, Helix, Helix,
Nice try, son.
No--2004 and 2008 are parallel because the much vaunted and heavily favored Lickers will fall when the entire world wrote off its opponent.
See--that simple.
Now go huddle up with your little buddies above--cuddle up and get some sleep.
The Lakers are heavily favored? ROFL!!!!!!!
Lol.
Actually, there are some fun cities in Louisiana...so all thing's are not equal. Mardi Gras is like heaven--or was before I got hitched j/k.
And why don't you jump into bed with your Licker buddies you prick
Heavily vaunted?
IIRC when the season started the Lakers weren't even projected to make the playoffs.
You're a ing idiot. Root for the Spurs with me and stop acting like a ing .
The Lakers are not heavily favored like they were in 2004. And with the delusional rhetoric you've been spewing, wait, copying and pasting--it is you who needs to cuddle with your fellow Spurs fans.
So Bukkake on you.
Eat a ing , Nancy-boi. You made a claim but haven't backed it up yet. That is to say, you're full of . Apparently getting your ass gaped at the bath house nightly has given you room for extra. Pathetic.
Hey dumbass--
Get the thing out of your mouth and go back to sleep with your new buddies.
Nearly every pundit has chosen the Lakers to defeat the Spurs. Too bad you're too excited by Licker fans to understand that.
LOL two Spurs fans punking each other over the Lakers. Nice.
Actually, you are the one sounding foolish. The lakers were doing fine in the playoffs. Malone reinjured his knee and couldnt play in the finals. You guys are already whining about how Manu isnt 100% yet when our starting PF goes down and doesnt even play its a non issue?
To talk about Malone and Payton in 2004 as if they were the players they were in their prime is also a misnomer. But i stll believe that if Malone stayed healthy, we would have beat the Pistons.
And i believe it was in espn's hollingers article today where he shows numbers that actually support 14 rings comments about this being a better team than the 3peat teams. It was a response to Barkely's saying just that wed night.
That would be funny but this turd is not a Spurs fan.
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